Today ancient coins are less appreciated for their aesthetical qualities but are valued for their political images and historical material they provide. Coins have been used as a system of exchange throughout the ancient world since about 600 BC. Ancient Greek coins have symbols related to cities that issued them combined with symbols or images of deities such as Athena or Zeus. Also, portrait heads of Greek ruler started to appear on coins after the death of Alexander the great. In roman currency, Roman portraiture coins continued. The heads of officials, generals, emperors and their wives were identified by their names and title on coins. Portrait coins have permitted scholars to distinguish and date sculpted images.
There are three periods in the Greek coinage history. First, emerged the Archaic period. Then, it follows the Classical period. Finally, the last period in the Greek coinage is the Hellenistic period. After that, Greek cities followed their own production of coins for several centuries under the roman rule called Roman provincial coin. The minting of the coins was handmade. The coins were carved into a block of iron for the reverse and carved into a similar punch for the obverse. The symbols on the coins were perfectly centered. The Relief was all over the coin and the sharpness of edges was flawless, which is the testimony of the Greek perfectionism.
Head of Athena, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
The Archaic Period from 600 BC to the Persian wars in 480 BC
The first coins were issued in Lydia in Asia Minor before 600 BC. The essential material used to make the coins at this time was the electrum and, which is combination of natural gold and silver. Every state supplied their own coins with their own symbols representing this specific state. Also, it circulated widely. However, the mintage was the same for every state. The coins were called Aeginetan which it means they weight 6.1 g of silver. The only city that was short on silver during this time was Athens. So, Athens could only produce Attic coins which weight 4.3 of silver. However, after Athens discovered the Lavrion Miner, it could follow the standard mintage. Spartans set themselves apart and didn’t follow the coinage trend. They applied the use of iron spits to discourage avarice instead of coins.
Head of Alexander the Great, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
The Classical Period from 480 BC to the Conquest of Alexander the Great in 330 BC
This period is represented by the high level of technical and artistic quality of coinage. The coins were embellished with the portrait of the Greek gods and goddesses. Also, during this period we could see representation of legendary heroes on the reverse and symbols of the city on the obverse of the coins. The major material used was still silver and gold. Furthermore, an important change on the coins was the use of symbols of the issuing city. The finest coins during the Classical Period were made in Syracuse in Sicily. On one side of the coin the head of the nymph Arethusa was represented, and on the other side Quadriga symbols which characterize a chariot drawn by four horses. Another significant change was the use of propaganda with coins. Indeed, propaganda was a Greek invention. It was their ideal way to deliver a political message. The first use of coins for propaganda was the decadrachm used by Athens when they won the Persian Wars. The representation on coins for that victory was Athena’s sacred bird with outstretched wings and holding a spray of olive leaves. The symbol through the olives leaves is peace and prosperity. The overall message delivered by these coins was that Athens was powerful, victorious, and peace loving.
The Hellenistic Period from 330 BC to the Roman absorption in 1st BC
During the Hellenistic Period there was a spread of Greek culture. Indeed, we could find Greek coins all around Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor. However, each city produced its own coins which were mass produced. Some coins were larger and with more gold which represented the larger and richer cities. For instance, the largest gold coin was made by Eucratides (171 – 145 BC), and the largest silver coin by Indo Greek Amyntas (95 – 90 BC). Furthermore, the key change was the use of living people portraits on the coins. It started in Sicilia but was strongly criticized by other Greek because it demonstrates arrogance.
Ancient Roman Coinage
The roman coinage used from the middle of the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD is based on five different kinds of coins made with four different kinds of material. There was the Aureus made with gold, the Denarius made with silver, the Sestertius made with bronze, the Dupondius made with bronze, and the As made with copper. The Greek territories had their own coinage which was the Greek imperial coin (or the Roman provincial) but still accepted the Roman coins as payment. During the 3rd century, the Denarius was replaced by the double denarius and now the autoninianus.
The Republican Period
The main role of coins during the republican period was the roman commerce, to deliver a meaning, and to relate an idea through imagery and caption. During the beginning of the Republican period, the imagery on the coins was limited. The first pictures in the coins represented the entire Roman state. In a different way compare to Greeks, the people who choose imagery on the coins were the senators (which was the richest and oldest families). Their official name was the Committee of Tresviri Monetales, created in 289 BC until the middle of 3rd AD. Initially the Committee of Tresviri Monetales was made of three but under Julius Caesar, it was raised to four. The imagery of the initial Denarii (plural of Denarius) was the bust of Roma on the obverse and a deity driving a chariot on the Reverse. Sometimes, symbols, letters, or monogram were used to differentiate who was in charge for a specific coin. Later, we could see the name of the person who made the coin, and then images of their family history since the Senators were issued from the richest and oldest families. For instance, the Sextus Pompeius Fostulus was an ancestor, and the coin represented Fostulus watching Pomulus and Remus drinking from a mother wolf. In fact, these imagery coins of the family history were to self-promote imagery competition among ruling class. Head of Augustus, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
The Imperial Period
The fundamental change in the Imperial period was when Julius Caesar issued coins with his own portrait. He was the first to issue coins of him as a living being. Another change was that the name of the person who made the coin disappeared during the Augustus reign. Basically, during the Imperial period coins emphasized the relationship between the emperor and a specific deity. For instance, during the campaign against Pompey, Julius Caesar issued coins with Venus or Aeneas. Another extreme example is Commodus who issued coins of his bust covered in a lion skin on the reverse and a caption declaring Commodus was the Roman living form of Hercules in the obverse in 192. Aeneas Carrying His Father Anchises and the Palladion, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
The Reform under Diocletian
There was a major of imagery change under Diocletian. The new coins were a large and firm image of a portrait of the emperor on the obverse and a universal spirit of Romans on the reverse. The key message diffused from these coins was unity, peace, and security. Furthermore, the purity of the Denarius was dropping. Therefore, coins started to have an intrinsic value which means that the value of the coin was higher than its metal contained. Also, there was a change in names of coins; the Argenteus and Follis was the silver-bronze, and the Soldius was gold and small bronze. The mintage of bronze coins was allowed to local authorities but not for the silver coins. Finally, this period was stressed by the fact that Greek imperial coinage disappeared and everyone had to use the Roman coinage and mintage, centralized in Rome.
Bust of Diocletian, Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
Bibliography
Benson “Ancient Greek Coins.” FORVM Library of Ancient Coinage. Web. 26 June, 2011.
"Coinage and Money Under the Roman Republic." History Today 37 (1987): 52. Gale World History In Context. Web. 26 June 2011.
N. K. Rutter "coinage, Greek." The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization. Ed. Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Pepperdine University. 26 June 2011.
Oliver D. Hoover "Coins and Coinage" The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome Pepperdine University. 26 June 2011.
"Ancient Coinage." Placard. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA., 2011. Print.
Gift of Seymour Weintraub. "Bust of Diocletian." 300-301 A.D. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Gift of Lily Tomlin. "Head of Augustus." 29-27 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown. "Aeneas Carrying His Father, Anchises, and the Palladion." 44-43 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown. "Head of Alexander the Great." 323-281 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown. "Head of Athena." 525-430 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Ancient Greek and Roman Coinage
Today ancient coins are less appreciated for their aesthetical qualities but are valued for their political images and historical material they provide. Coins have been used as a system of exchange throughout the ancient world since about 600 BC. Ancient Greek coins have symbols related to cities that issued them combined with symbols or images of deities such as Athena or Zeus. Also, portrait heads of Greek ruler started to appear on coins after the death of Alexander the great. In roman currency, Roman portraiture coins continued. The heads of officials, generals, emperors and their wives were identified by their names and title on coins. Portrait coins have permitted scholars to distinguish and date sculpted images.Table of Contents
Ancient Greek Coinage
There are three periods in the Greek coinage history. First, emerged the Archaic period. Then, it follows the Classical period. Finally, the last period in the Greek coinage is the Hellenistic period. After that, Greek cities followed their own production of coins for several centuries under the roman rule called Roman provincial coin. The minting of the coins was handmade. The coins were carved into a block of iron for the reverse and carved into a similar punch for the obverse. The symbols on the coins were perfectly centered. The Relief was all over the coin and the sharpness of edges was flawless, which is the testimony of the Greek perfectionism.The Archaic Period from 600 BC to the Persian wars in 480 BC
The first coins were issued in Lydia in Asia Minor before 600 BC. The essential material used to make the coins at this time was the electrum and, which is combination of natural gold and silver. Every state supplied their own coins with their own symbols representing this specific state. Also, it circulated widely. However, the mintage was the same for every state. The coins were called Aeginetan which it means they weight 6.1 g of silver. The only city that was short on silver during this time was Athens. So, Athens could only produce Attic coins which weight 4.3 of silver. However, after Athens discovered the Lavrion Miner, it could follow the standard mintage. Spartans set themselves apart and didn’t follow the coinage trend. They applied the use of iron spits to discourage avarice instead of coins.The Classical Period from 480 BC to the Conquest of Alexander the Great in 330 BC
This period is represented by the high level of technical and artistic quality of coinage. The coins were embellished with the portrait of the Greek gods and goddesses. Also, during this period we could see representation of legendary heroes on the reverse and symbols of the city on the obverse of the coins. The major material used was still silver and gold. Furthermore, an important change on the coins was the use of symbols of the issuing city. The finest coins during the Classical Period were made in Syracuse in Sicily. On one side of the coin the head of the nymph Arethusa was represented, and on the other side Quadriga symbols which characterize a chariot drawn by four horses. Another significant change was the use of propaganda with coins. Indeed, propaganda was a Greek invention. It was their ideal way to deliver a political message. The first use of coins for propaganda was the decadrachm used by Athens when they won the Persian Wars. The representation on coins for that victory was Athena’s sacred bird with outstretched wings and holding a spray of olive leaves. The symbol through the olives leaves is peace and prosperity. The overall message delivered by these coins was that Athens was powerful, victorious, and peace loving.The Hellenistic Period from 330 BC to the Roman absorption in 1st BC
During the Hellenistic Period there was a spread of Greek culture. Indeed, we could find Greek coins all around Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor. However, each city produced its own coins which were mass produced. Some coins were larger and with more gold which represented the larger and richer cities. For instance, the largest gold coin was made by Eucratides (171 – 145 BC), and the largest silver coin by Indo Greek Amyntas (95 – 90 BC). Furthermore, the key change was the use of living people portraits on the coins. It started in Sicilia but was strongly criticized by other Greek because it demonstrates arrogance.Ancient Roman Coinage
The roman coinage used from the middle of the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD is based on five different kinds of coins made with four different kinds of material. There was the Aureus made with gold, the Denarius made with silver, the Sestertius made with bronze, the Dupondius made with bronze, and the As made with copper. The Greek territories had their own coinage which was the Greek imperial coin (or the Roman provincial) but still accepted the Roman coins as payment. During the 3rd century, the Denarius was replaced by the double denarius and now the autoninianus.The Republican Period
The main role of coins during the republican period was the roman commerce, to deliver a meaning, and to relate an idea through imagery and caption. During the beginning of the Republican period, the imagery on the coins was limited. The first pictures in the coins represented the entire Roman state. In a different way compare to Greeks, the people who choose imagery on the coins were the senators (which was the richest and oldest families). Their official name was the Committee of Tresviri Monetales, created in 289 BC until the middle of 3rd AD. Initially the Committee of Tresviri Monetales was made of three but under Julius Caesar, it was raised to four. The imagery of the initial Denarii (plural of Denarius) was the bust of Roma on the obverse and a deity driving a chariot on the Reverse. Sometimes, symbols, letters, or monogram were used to differentiate who was in charge for a specific coin. Later, we could see the name of the person who made the coin, and then images of their family history since the Senators were issued from the richest and oldest families. For instance, the Sextus Pompeius Fostulus was an ancestor, and the coin represented Fostulus watching Pomulus and Remus drinking from a mother wolf. In fact, these imagery coins of the family history were to self-promote imagery competition among ruling class.The Imperial Period
The fundamental change in the Imperial period was when Julius Caesar issued coins with his own portrait. He was the first to issue coins of him as a living being. Another change was that the name of the person who made the coin disappeared during the Augustus reign. Basically, during the Imperial period coins emphasized the relationship between the emperor and a specific deity. For instance, during the campaign against Pompey, Julius Caesar issued coins with Venus or Aeneas. Another extreme example is Commodus who issued coins of his bust covered in a lion skin on the reverse and a caption declaring Commodus was the Roman living form of Hercules in the obverse in 192.The Reform under Diocletian
There was a major of imagery change under Diocletian. The new coins were a large and firm image of a portrait of the emperor on the obverse and a universal spirit of Romans on the reverse. The key message diffused from these coins was unity, peace, and security. Furthermore, the purity of the Denarius was dropping. Therefore, coins started to have an intrinsic value which means that the value of the coin was higher than its metal contained. Also, there was a change in names of coins; the Argenteus and Follis was the silver-bronze, and the Soldius was gold and small bronze. The mintage of bronze coins was allowed to local authorities but not for the silver coins. Finally, this period was stressed by the fact that Greek imperial coinage disappeared and everyone had to use the Roman coinage and mintage, centralized in Rome.Bibliography
Benson “Ancient Greek Coins.” FORVM Library of Ancient Coinage. Web. 26 June, 2011."Coinage and Money Under the Roman Republic." History Today 37 (1987): 52. Gale World History In Context. Web. 26 June 2011.
N. K. Rutter "coinage, Greek." The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization. Ed. Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth. Oxford University Press, 1998. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Pepperdine University. 26 June 2011.
Oliver D. Hoover "Coins and Coinage" The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome Pepperdine University. 26 June 2011.
"Ancient Coinage." Placard. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA., 2011. Print.
Gift of Seymour Weintraub. "Bust of Diocletian." 300-301 A.D. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Gift of Lily Tomlin. "Head of Augustus." 29-27 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown. "Aeneas Carrying His Father, Anchises, and the Palladion." 44-43 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown. "Head of Alexander the Great." 323-281 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.
Unknown. "Head of Athena." 525-430 B.C. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa, Malibu, CA.